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Why Gig and Tech Workers Are Striking

Big employers are terrified

By Charlie Sorrel Charlie Sorrel Senior Tech Reporter Charlie Sorrel has been writing about technology, and its effects on society and the planet, for 13 years. lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on December 2, 2020 01:00PM EST Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Smart & Connected Life Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming

Key Takeaways

Uber paid $200 million to help overturn a California law that would grant its employees basic rights.Unions need to change to keep up with modern employment.500 German Amazon workers went on strike to disrupt Black Friday shopping. RossHelen / Getty Images While the gig economy is helping people stay employed during trying times, the companies that employ those workers are fighting to keep them out of unions. On Black Friday weekend 2020, around 500 German Amazon workers went on a three-day strike to protest poor COVID-19 safety measures. Next-day shipping times slipped to several days, and then German trade union Verdi called a second strike this week. Two years ago in the U.K., Uber drivers organized a national 24-hour strike. Why are tech workers striking? Because they are being exploited, and the law isn’t helping.

New Industrial Revolution

Comparing the plight of workers in modern-day Europe and the U.S. to workers during the Industrial Revolution is stretching things, but there are parallels. Back then, laws made it illegal for workers to come together and protest working conditions or anything else. Today, unions are legal, but tech giants like Uber and Amazon ignore them, or try to, while other companies try to prevent their workers from unionizing. And in another twist, the unions themselves might not be up to the task of protecting the modern gig worker. "For the most parts, trade unions still work on the model of the 'shop floor'—where people work in an environment with fixed boundaries, with a largely static workforce," Anindya Raychaudhuri, lecturer in English at the University of St. Andrews, writes for the Huffington Post. "Trade unions are ill-equipped to represent the worker on multiple zero-hour contracts, moving from one site to another, working for multiple employers at the same time, and getting stability from none."

Gig Economy Divide and Conquer

The gig economy thrives on the "divide and conquer" principle. An Uber driver is classed, by Uber, as a self-employed contractor, with none of the usual employee protections such as minimum wage, health benefits, or paid vacation time. That’s a clear short-term economic benefit for the employer, but even better for the likes of Uber is that these workers cannot organize. If you’re scraping a living with several low-paying gigs, then you don’t have time to fight for your rights. And if you try, you’ll either be fired, or your work will mysteriously dry up.

Prop 22

In November 2020, California passed Proposition 22, which let gig employers continue to classify their employees as contract workers. The proposition was financed by Uber, which contributed $200 million, along with money from Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, and others. d3sign / Getty Images This exempts these companies from having basic employment rights and protections, like a minimum wage, unemployment insurance, paid sick leave, unemployment insurance, and everything else you get from a regular job. "Billionaire corps just hijacked the ballot measure system in CA by spending millions to mislead voters," writes the campaign Gig Workers Rising on Twitter. "The most expensive ballot measure in U.S. history, is a loss for our democracy that could open the door to other attempts by corps to write their own laws" [emphasis added]. Back in the birthplace of unions, Britain, this attempt to circumvent employment law hasn’t gone down so well. In October 2016, Uber drivers in the U.K. won the right to be classed as employees. The tribunal concluded that "the notion that Uber in London is a mosaic of 30,000 small businesses linked by a common 'platform' is to our minds faintly ridiculous," stating what is obvious to any normal person looking at the situation. Trade unions are ill-equipped to represent the worker on multiple zero-hour contracts, moving from one site to another, working for multiple employers at the same time, and getting stability from none.

Union Pushback

Unions are a way of people working together to empower themselves against otherwise too-powerful entities, and those entities do not like it. One person I contacted about attempts to unionize the workforce at their place of work refused to talk, because of tensions between employees and management. If the threat of unions wasn’t apparent, Uber’s $200 million contribution to prevent workers uniting in California makes it obvious. And the law needs to change. Even if gig workers are classified as contractors, shouldn’t they still be able to unionize? The answer seems obvious to the workers themselves, but without working together, we have little power to change anything. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How To Negotiate a Remote Work Arrangement How to Watch the State of the Union (2023) Which Is Cheaper: Uber or Taxi? Lyft vs. Uber: What's the Difference? How to Talk to Tech Support How Craigslist Works The Best Sites to Post a Resume or Candidate Profile in 2022 No Degree? No Problem. Non-Traditional Paths Lead to Great Tech Careers What to Include in a Remote Work Proposal What Is Ghosting? What Is Black Friday? Beginner's Guide to Uber What Is Cyber Monday? The 14 Best Sites for Unclaimed Money How to Delete Your Uber Account The Best Black Friday Deals You Can Still Get Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies